ous court. That king, from the first to the last so dear to the people of London, made it his principal residence when in his metropolis; and its ancient halls and towers were then the scene

her Richard. The sheriffs of London were bound to find this grisly minion his chain and his cord, when he deigned to amuse himself with bathing or "fishing" in the river; and several boats, filled with gape-mouthed passengers, lay near the wharf, to witness the diversions of Bruin. These folks set up a loud shout of-"A Warwick! a Warwick!" "The stout earl, and God bless him!" as the gorgeous barge shot towards the fortress. The earl acknowledged their greeting by vailing his plumed cap; and passing the keepers with a merry allusion to their care of his own badge, and a friendly compliment to the grunting bear, he stepped ashore, followed by his kinsman. Now, however, he paused a moment; and a more thoughtful shade passed over his countenance, as, glancing his eye carelessly aloft towards the standard of King Edward, he caught sight of the casement in the neighbouring tower, of the

central or crowned pin,-the king of the closheys. This lady, no less a person than Elizabeth, the Queen of England, was then in her thirty-sixth year,-ten years older than her lord; but the peculiar fairness and delicacy of her complexion still preserved to her beauty the aspect and bloom of youth. From a lofty headgear, embroidered with fleur-de-lis, round which wreathed a light diadem of pearls, her hair, of the pale yellow considered then the perfection of beauty, flowed so straight and so shining down her shoulders, almost to the knees, that it seemed like a m

to the fallen closhey, "what would my enemies

our Grace's brothers you would place in his stead," a

ered sidelong with a furtive and stealthy expression, that did much to obtain for her the popular character of falseness an

roiaulme too much for so high an ambition. Were we to make a brother eve

ours. I leave your Highness to the closheys"-turned away, and strode towards the king, who, at the opposite end of the garden, was r

to character, and never more than when it led him afterwards to underrate the talents of Edward IV.,-"Mort-Dieu! if, an hour before the battle of Towton, some wizard had shown me in his glass this gli

eyes of the king, "art thou not ashamed, my lord?-the grim earl comes t

on, and King John and poor Edward II., because I am not always in mail. Go! leave us, sweet bonnibel! we must brave the bear alone!" The lady inclined her head, drew her hood round her face, and striking into the contrary path from that in which Warwick was slowly s

ch in that age was considered the imperative duty a man of station and birth owed to himself,-held in lofty disdain whatever vagary of custom tended to cripple the movements or womanize the man. No

collar or necklace of uncut jewels set in filigree gold; the nether limbs were, it is true, clad in the more manly fashion of tight-fitting hosen, but the folds of the gown, as the day was somewhat fresh, were drawn around so as to conceal the only part of the dress which really betokened the male sex. To add to this unwarlike attire, Edward's locks of a rich golden colour, and perfuming the whole air with odours, flowed not in curls, but straight to his shoulders, and the cheek of the fairest lady in his court might have seemed less fair beside the dazzling clearness of a

Warwick slightly bent his proud knee to his king; "your brother, Lord Montagu,

serve you at the court as I can with the people, you would not complain that John of Montagu was a better courtier than Richard of Warwick. But each to his calling. I depart to-morrow for Calais, and thence to King Louis. And,

ut thou hast learned only half thy business, good Warwick; and it is well Margaret did not hear thee. Is not the p

, though indifferently well skilled as to the valour of a warrior's stout arm. Algates, the

nd the king, leaning his hand on the earl's arm, and walking with him slowly to and fro the terrace, continued: "Knowest t

iances of Bourbons and Plantagenets? Faugh! You have spoiled them, good my lord king,-you have spoiled them by your condescensions. Henry IV. staled not his ma

umouredly, "wilt thou never let that sore scar quietly

nswered the earl,-"unless, peradventu

London have a share in her honours. As to the rest," pursued the king, earnestly and with dignity, "I and my House have owed much to London. When the peers of England, save thee and thy friends, stood aloof from my cause, London was ever loyal and true. Thou seest not, my poor Warwick, that these burgesses are g

d mine to defend with my blood even what I approve not with my brain! But if thou doubtest the wisdom of this alliance, it is not too late ye

is elder than mine; but men do say the Count of Charolois is a mighty lord

advance such a marriage. The Count of Charolois knows me as his foe-shame were mine did I shun to say where I love, where I hate. That proud dullard once slighted me when we met at his

count on plots and stratagems and treason, uneasy days and sleepless nights. Already thou hast lost one occasion to secure that wiliest and most restless of princes, in rejecting the hand of the Princess Bona. Happily, this loss now can be retrieved. But alliance with Burgundy is war with France,-war more deadly because Louis is a man who declares it not; a war carried on by intrigue and bribe, by spies and minions, till some disaffection rip

llar of my state," said the king, frankly, and pressing the a

sad smile, "when I am gone, my liege will not repent, will not misthink me, will not liste

emest ill of thy

heart. And now, good my liege, forgive me one sentence more. Heaven forefend that I should stand in the way of thy princely favours. A king's countenance is a sun that should shine on all. Bu

m of March, with a subject's right to honour where he loves, than wear crown and wield sceptre without a king's unquestioned prerogative to ennoble the line and blood of one he has d

ave fought against thee preferred to the stout loyalty that braved block and field for thy cause. Look round thy court; where are the men of bloody York and victorious Towton?-unrequited, sullen in their strongholds, begirt with their yeomen and retainers. Thou standest-thou, the heir of York-almost alone (save where the

ake treaties and contract marriages, establish peace or proclaim war; but trench not on my sweetest prerogative to give and to forgive. And now, wilt thou tar

an mine." So saying, he kissed the king's hand, and was retiring, when he remembered his kinsman, whose humble interests in the midst of more exciting topics he had hitherto forgotten

t it is easier to the warm heart of our cousin Warwick to preach sententia

y that, as a young gentleman who hath taken no part himself in the wars, and whose father repented his error, your Grace should strengthen your following by

ortunes shall be my care. Thou sayest thou hast enemies,-I weet not who they be. But to show what I think of them, I make thy namesake and client a gentl

ght, gentleman, and soldier; and I verily trow that I love thee best when my petulant zeal makes me anger thee most,"-turned away with evident emotion, and passing the queen and her ladies with a lowlier homage than that

ge." And sauntering towards the ladies, he listened in silence, but not apparently in displeasure, to his